Google says DMA changes in EU resulted in worse degradation of search quality ever

Sep 08, 2026 07:38 PM - 1 day ago 1

Google told Reuters that the motorboat of the astir caller changes to the hunt results successful the European Union nether the DMA requirements led to the worst degradation of hunt value successful its history. “The changes people the largest simplification successful value of work ‌at the world’s astir celebrated net hunt motor successful its 29-year hunt history,” Google official told Reuters.

What Google said. Google told Reuters:

  • “Google said it sees that successful reality the ​changes favour value comparison sites, besides known arsenic vertical hunt services (VSS), linked to sectors including ​hotels, airlines and restaurants, specified arsenic Expedia aliases Booking.com.”
  • “They get much prominence successful ⁠search results complete companies successful those sectors that are listed pinch conscionable a nexus to their websites, ​telephone numbers and address.”
  • “The revamped hunt results will ​highlight 1 specialized hunt motor astatine the apical of the page, followed by 2 others pinch less specifications while a ‌carousel ⁠of hotels, airlines and restaurants for illustration will beryllium beneath them pinch cardinal features specified arsenic real-time prices stripped out. The rankings will beryllium wished by Google’s algorithm.”

More details. Google has been going backmost and distant pinch the EU complete the Digital Markets Act and proposing changes to its hunt results for a while now.

Now that these changes are live, Google is saying these changes person reduced its value of its hunt service.

In 2024, Google tested the changes, truthful it is nary astonishment Google is saying this now.

Why we care. These changes only effect those searching successful the European regions. But that is simply a large percent of Google’s searchers. Of course, Google doesn’t want to make these changes, but Google has been forced by the European Commision. Does it really person a antagonistic effect connected hunt value for the extremity user?

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About the Author

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz is simply a technologist and a Contributing Editor to MCP and a personnel of the programming squad for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He besides runs MCP, a celebrated hunt blog connected very precocious SEM topics.

In 2019, Barry was awarded the Outstanding Community Services Award from MCP, successful 2018 he was awarded the US Search Awards the "US Search Personality Of The Year," you tin study much complete present and successful 2023 he was listed arsenic a apical 50 astir influential PPCer by Marketing O'Clock.

Barry tin beryllium followed on X here and you tin study much about Barry Schwartz complete here aliases connected his personal site.
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